Running strong

PALMER — When the Colony Knights reflect on their 2009 season, they’ll be looking at two dates specifically.

There’s Sept. 26, the day of the Region III Championships.

And then there’s Oct. 3, the date of the 4A state meet.

“Our focus is on the region and state meet,” Colony head coach Mark Strabel said late last week.

The Knights are not just focusing on doing well at these meets, but ranking among the elite teams in the state. With about 50 runners, and a pack of top veterans on the team, Colony is expected to be among the squads vying for a top finish at the final meets of the season.

“They’re looking really good, really tough,” Strabel said. “They’ve definitely done their running over the summer, they’re definitely focused on regions and state. It’s fun to watch them race.”

Colony returns the bulk of a girls team that ran its way to the 2008 Region III title and a second-place finish in the state meet.

Back is sophomore Alyssa Hutchins, who was fifth in the region meet. Senior Sydney Stewart, who finished sixth in regions, also returns.

Senior Maria Wick (10th), junior Abby Jahn (12th) and senior Heidi Doner (13th) also finished among the top 15 runners in the region last season.

A key newcomer for the Knights is Rhonda Knopp, who replaces the retired Mark Doner on the CHS coaching staff.

Like the girls, the Colony boys return the majority of talent from a squad that finished high in the region and state last season.

The Knights — second in the region and fifth in state — lost their top finisher in the region race, Steven Sinnett. But back are senior Dylan Crawford (10th in the region), sophomore Schyler Knopp (16th), senior Blake Wangberg (26th) and senior Alex Reimer (27th).

Senior Gunner Williams, junior Tanner Enloe and sophomore Abe Meyerhoffer also return.

Strabel said he expects Colony to be battling the same teams — programs such as Kodiak and Wasilla — in the region and state meets.

“Our region is the toughest in the whole state,” Strabel said.

Wasilla head coach Gary Howell also praised the strength of Region III.

“Our region as a whole looks really good,” Howell said. “Unfortunately and fortunately. We’ll be racing the best teams every week. The downside is you could be second in region and second and race.”

Howell said he’s expecting good thing from a strong nucleus of runners on his boys’ team, and a good part of that core is made up by sophomores.

Among those back are seniors Drew Ford and Jaron Christensen-Vavalis, and sophomores Michael Johnston, Noah Ripley, Josh Pahkala and Keith Thompson.

Christensen-Vavalis (21st), Ripley (22nd), Ford (23rd) each posted top-25 finishes in the region meet last year. This year, Howell said Johnston is recording top times on the team, with Ford about two seconds behind.

Another runner who has impressed Howell is senior Alden Lee.

“He went out and decided to run about 300 miles this summer,” Howell said. “He’s in fantastic shape.”

Lee posted a 23rd-place finish in the traditionally tough Skyview Invitational in Soldotna last Saturday.

On the girls’ side, Wasilla also returns a key group of veterans, but the Warriors have received a boost by some young talent.

Freshman Jenna Ford won the Skyview Invitational with a time of 19 minutes and 16 seconds. With that victory, Ford has now won the first three meets of her career.

Entering the season, Howell said he knew Ford was a runner with talent, but it’s sometimes hard to gauge athletes hitting the high school level for the first time.

“Her times are tremendous,” Howell said.

Howell is also excited about the potential of another freshman, Mandi Ringenberg.

Among the top veterans returning are seniors Brooke Nelson and Keri Clump, and junior Alison Kelley.

Kelley finished 14th in the region meet last season and Nelson was 18th.

The Wasilla girls have advanced to the state meet each year since 2005 and the boys will be looking for their first state berth as a team since 2005, Howell said.

Like Wasilla, Palmer has a strong group of sophomores, but the Moose aren’t heavy with veterans.

With that young talent, Palmer coach John Bishop said the key is building for the future.

“My main goal this year was to get as many bodies as I could,” said Bishop, who has about 35 runners on the 2009 team.

Although the Moose are not deep with upperclassmen, Palmer does boast one of the top runners in the region — senior Wylie Mangelsdorf.

Last season, Mangelsdorf finished fourth in the region meet and seventh in state. Bishop feels Mangelsdorf has the ability to cap his prep cross country season with a top finish.

“I’m hoping he’s at least top-two at state,” Bishop said. “He’s a solid top-five at state.”

Mangelsdorf finished fifth at the Skyview Invite.

Among the strong sophomores on the Palmer boys squad are Mason Minturn and Clarence Ess, Bishop said.

Minturn was 17th at Skyview.

Leading the Palmer girls are senior Amanda Stricker, and sophomores Grace Bohman and Hannah Smith.

At Houston, Pat Egelus is also busy building a Hawks cross country running squad.

The Hawks have 15 runners on the squad, most of whom are underclassmen.

Egelus is excited about his boys team. Sophomores Travis Patterson, Scott Kramer and Jamison Richey are among the top runners on his squad.

“We’re already better than we’ve ever been since I’ve been here,” Egelus said of the HHS boys. “We’re improving every year. I hope it keeps going.”

The Hawks also have senior Joe Warner and sophomore Drew Drake.

Sophomore Paige Wagner leads the Houston girls.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.